The Venue
The Persistence of Brick and Mortar
Photos by Elizabeth Harris Photography For the last 45 years Fret Mill Music (www.fretmill.com) has been a continual and stable presence in the Roanoke bluegrass music community. While the internet age now enables us to order anything from anywhere with the click of a button, finding a music shop that still encourages a hands-on approach…
A Direct Report From Ground Zero in the Thousand Year Storm
After Hurricane Helene Hit The Mountains, The IBMA Trust Fund and The Bluegrass Community Took Action It is not every day that Chinook helicopters land in the mountains of Western North Carolina delivering much-needed supplies to a disaster zone, but that is what happened when Hurricane Helene struck the Nature Coast of Florida and then…
2025 Festival Guide
United States Arizona Desert Bluegrass FestivalMarch 7-9, 2025 Gladden Farms Community Park12205 N Tangerine Farms RdMarana, Arizona 85653 520-245-6126desertbluegrass.org/marana-festival-2019 Pickin’ in the Pines Bluegrass Music Festival September 12-14, 2025 250 Garrison RdFlagstaff, Arizona 86005pickininthepines.org Arkansas Mountain View Fall Bluegrass FestivalNovember 6-8, 2025 1032 Park AveMountain View, Arkansas 72211501-350-9676mountainviewbluegrass.com California Parkfield Bluegrass FestivalMay 8-11, 2024 70410 Parkfield-Coalinga…
Preserving & Presenting the First Family of Country Music
Photos by Jack Bernhardt It’s 3 p.m on a comfortably warm October 4, 2024. Rita Forrester is hard at work, getting food and concessions in order before fans arrive for the evening’s show featuring Marty Stuart and the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band. Tonight’s concert is part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Carter Family…
IBMA 2024
Musicians and Community Support One Another Photos by Ricky Davis 2024 was preordained to be a bittersweet IBMA year, like a high school graduation, throwing caps in the air, fully realizing that the World of Bluegrass landscape as we knew it was about to change. After 12 years in Raleigh—a period long enough to be a…
The Wayne Henderson Festival Ends After 30 Years
Henderson Reflects on Its Long Run Photos by Derek Halsey Southwest Virginia’s Wayne Henderson happens to be one of the most famous guitar builders in the world. He has also been one of the best fingerpick guitarists in the country for many years. And yet, for the majority of his amazing career, Henderson has lived…